Request a needs assessment - getting support

What is a needs assessment?

An assessment means we meet you and talk about your situation. We'll ask you some questions about your wellbeing and how you're managing in your daily life so that we can think about what help and support you might need.

Anyone over the age of 18 who asks for a social care needs assessment has the right to have one.

If you're not eligible for care and support from us, we'll still give you information about other organisations that may be able to help you.

There are services available which can help prevent or delay your need for on-going services. As part of the assessment we will consider if you might benefit from these, regardless of your eligibility.

If someone else has referred you, we will always contact you to make sure you have given your consent to go ahead with the assessment. Even if someone else has referred you, your assessment is about you as an individual. We'll listen to your views and wishes and these will be included in the assessment.

We will need to ask you a number of questions, therefore it's useful to have the following information available:

Name, date of birth and address of the person the assessment is for

How the person manages with daily tasks

Where it takes place

You can choose where you feel most comfortable. Many people are happy for us to meet in their home.

This can help us see how you are living and whether any equipment would make living at home easier for you.

Who will be involved

The assessment will be carried out by one of our trained adult social care practitioners. You can have anyone you want with you for the assessment, such as a family member, a carer or a friend.

If you find it very difficult understanding the process or telling us what you want and you don’t have anyone else who can help you, we can provide an independent advocate to help you.

Please discuss this with us before the assessment, so we can make suitable arrangements.

The assessor will work with you to create a care and support plan. This will include all your needs and things you want to achieve (often called outcomes).

For each outcome, it will show the things you will arrange yourself and the things you'll ask someone to do for you. It will also list any money, services or equipment we have agreed to provide for you.

We will send you and the organisation or person helping you a copy (with your permission).

Contributing to your care and support

If you qualify for support we'll carry out a financial assessment to decide whether or not you have enough money to pay towards what you need. How much you pay depends on your income and outgoings. We'll also look at the amount of savings you have.

If you have more than £23,250 in savings and capital, you will have to pay the full cost of any support you require. You can still ask for an assessment of your care needs but you will not qualify for any funded support from us.

If your savings and capital drop below £23,250, then you would be expected to pay a contribution for your services. Contact us and we will review your assessment.

We can also assist you with your benefits. A member of our financial assessment and benefits team will visit you to talk about your options and help you claim any benefits you might be entitled to, such as attendance allowance or personal independence payments.

Personal budgets

We'll provide you with a personal budget and discuss with you how you can use this to meet your needs via a range of options, including direct payments.

This will help you to better understand the likely costs of your care and support and your contribution. This gives you choice and control over the support you get.

You're also entitled to help from an independent advocate if you have difficulty participating in the assessment or other parts of the process and don't already have someone who can act as an advocate for you.

If we identify that this may be the case, we have a duty to arrange an independent advocate who can act on your behalf.